Auburn commits Jared Smith, Anquon Fegans shine in senior season debuts
The ESPN High School Football kickoff featured a defensive affair on Thursday night, as Grayson (Ga.) rebounded from a season-opening loss last week by defeating No. 23 Thompson (Ala.) on the road, 14-13.
While Thompson opened its 2024 campaign 0-1, two of its top playmakers shined on the defensive side of the ball. EDGE Jared Smith and safety Anquon Fegans — both of whom are committed to Auburn — were all over the field for all four quarters.
Smith collected 15 tackles and three sacks, backing up his No. 43 overall status in the On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder was able to barge through and get around the Grayson offensive line routinely.
“Auburn EDGE commit Jared Smith had a strong start to his senior season last night, tallying three sacks. Played with high effort, flashing length and flexibility,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote on X.
Fegans acquired 10 tackles and also returned a fumble for one of the few touchdowns scored by either team all evening. Roaming the secondary on Thursday, the Grayson offense didn’t often target Fegans’ side of the field.
The 6-foot-0.5, 190-pound DB is also a top-100 recruit, checking in at No. 57 overall and No. 5 at the safety position. Despite the loss, both Fegans and Smith showcased their elite talent on the field, giving the Auburn faithful plenty to be excited about for the future.
Auburn landed both commitments in a week-span as a part of its rampant recruiting run that begun at the end of July. Fegans announced his decision on July 29 and was soon followed by Smith on Aug. 3. They are two of the six top-100 prospects committed to the Tigers, as of Aug. 23.
Thompson is set to return to action next Thursday, Aug. 29, as it heads to Nashville to take on Lipscomb Academy, which also opened its season with a loss this week. Thompson began the week as the top-ranked team in Alabama and the lone Yellowhammer State program in the On3 Massey Ratings top 25. Its first in-state game of the season is set for Sept. 6 on the road against Tuscaloosa County.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.